Fiesta Nacional

This was my very first project on my journey into drawing. A close friend and promising filmmaker, David Augusto, commissioned me to create the poster art and graphics for his debut film, Fiesta Nacional, a documentary that portrays the stories of three characters: a construction worker, a craftswoman, and a bullfighter. All three are Mexican and are connected by the same symbols, though experienced and interpreted differently: the cross, the bull, and the idea of nation and identity.

When I started this project, I barely knew what I was doing—let alone painting or drawing in any formal sense. I had instincts and ideas, but no real methodology, only principles I had absorbed over time from friends, books, and failed attempts (at some point I’ll talk more about my personal story pursuing illustration).

I created posters for each character, but I also included the bull (representing passionate forces) as a character in its own right, since it felt like a hidden presence behind the story. I also tried to make each illustration a window into the inner world of each character; the symbols aren’t just decorative—they help tell part of each person’s public and private life.

It was a project that took quite some time. In fact, the film took eight years to “cook.” This was my first real approach to cinema.

Today, I’m very aware of how much I lacked back then—and how much I still have to learn—but at least I can see my progress. I now have more tools and a better understanding of the fundamentals. There’s still a long road ahead. I’m sharing some of that work here.

For more information:
https://pneumatikoi.com/fiesta-nacional-es